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From: gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.nlang
Subject: "(sp?)" considered wimpy.
Message-ID: <311@ihu1m.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Feb-85 13:35:59 EST
Article-I.D.: ihu1m.311
Posted: Mon Feb 18 13:35:59 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 20-Feb-85 03:17:47 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 39
Xref: watmath net.flame:8425 net.nlang:2598

--
How many times have you come across the great net misspelling
apology "(sp?)", as in Iran's "Iatola(sp?)"?  What is going
through such a writer's mind?  Does he think maybe we haven't
noticed that he doesn't know how to spell, and thus kindly points
out this fact?  Or maybe he thinks the apology makes the misspelling
go away?  Or maybe he wants to show that he cares about his spelling,
but not quite enough to do anything about it?

Look, you sniveling cowards--I don't care that you don't know
how to spell, but to flaunt your illiteracy with "(sp?)" is
really unacceptable groveling.  You have to be a masochistic wimp
to be so proud of your ignorance, yet so scared of your
audience, that you emblazon all your imagined errors for public
ridicule.  Why not take your best guess and be done with it,
ferchrissakes?  I mean, you either care about good spelling
or you don't.  If you care, you'll get it right; if you don't,
then stand up for your right to spell as you please.  Your meaning
will probably be clear enough, and nobody's going to accuse you of
doing it wrong deliberately.  And who knows--maybe you'll get lucky!

This snippet from E.B. White's reminiscing about William Strunk
in the introduction to their "Elements of Style" says it best:

    "I remember a day in class when he leaned far forward,
     in his characteristic pose--the pose of a man about
     to impart a secret--and croaked, 'If you don't know
     how to pronounce a word, say it loud!  If you don't
     know how to pronounce a word, say it loud!'  This
     comical piece of advice struck me as sound at the
     time, and I still respect it.  Why compound ignorance
     with inaudibility?  Why run and hide?"
-- 
                    *** ***
JE MAINTIENDRAI   ***** *****
                 ****** ******  18 Feb 85 [30 Pluviose An CXCIII]
ken perlow       *****   *****
(312)979-7188     ** ** ** **
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